Mary Baldwin announces next president

Mary Baldwin University’s next president will be Jeffrey P. Stein, vice president for strategic initiatives and partnerships at Elon University in North Carolina, the Staunton private university announced on Friday.

Also an assistant professor of English at Elon, Stein will become MBU’s 10th president on July 1, succeeding MBU President Pamela R. Fox, who announced her retirement in August 2022.

“I am honored and humbled to be chosen as Mary Baldwin University’s 10th president and thrilled to be joining this dynamic community, which for 181 years has made courageous decisions to change lives through inclusive, experiential and student-centered education,” Stein said in a statement.

Named to his current role at Elon in 2019, Stein led the creation and implementation of Elon’s 10-year strategic plan and its response to the COVID-19 pandemic. He also worked with Elon’s advancement team, president and donors to raise more than $4 million in endowment funding and annual gifts to support the university’s Jewish life and Jewish studies programs.

In 2010, Stein joined Elon’s senior staff and served as chief of staff and secretary to the board of trustees for two university presidents. As a student affairs dean from 2002 to 2010, he led an initiative to design a $150 million residential plan across campus.

“Jeff Stein’s experiences across academia demonstrate leadership in and out of the classroom. His mastery of strategic planning lifts all campus stakeholders, and his ability to lead in challenging times speaks to a critical moment in higher education,” MBU Board of Trustees Chair and alumna Gabrielle G. “Gabby” McCree said in a statement.

Stein holds a doctorate degree in higher education management from the University of Georgia, a master of fine arts degree in creative writing from Colorado State University, a master’s degree in English from the University of Northern Colorado and a bachelor’s degree in English from Beliot College in Wisconsin.

Stein serves as board chair of the United Way of Alamance County in North Carolina and serves on the Downtown Elon Advisory Board and the Alamance County Economic Development Foundation’s board.

MBU formed a 15-member committee for its presidential search, partnering with Washington, D.C.-based executive search firm Academic Search.